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Aluminium Centrum
Few buildings evoke the universal response ‘how on earth does it stand up?’ but the Aluminium Centrum in Houten, the Netherlands, is one of them. A flat simple slab of a building (although not as simple as it first looks) is supported on the slenderest possible of supports coming up out of the water. On a day when the light is right, with reflections in the still water, the effect is of the tentacles of a jellyfish – not the most structurally rigid of concepts.
Architect Abbink X De Haas architectures (Micha de Haas) Location Houten - The Netherlands Company involved 3A Composites Website http://www.3acomposites.com -
Maas Tower
On a misty day in Rotterdam, the taller of the two towers that make up the Maas Tower development seems to disappear into the sky. Oddly, on a clear day, the effect is not entirely different. Although the light silvery colour of the tower stands out sharply against a blue sky, there is a fading away at the top that cannot just be put down to the diminution that comes with distance.
Architect Diederick Dam (Dam and Partners) Location Rotterdam - The Netherlands Company involved Euramax Coated Products & Hunter Douglas Website http://www.euramax.nl -
Maison Commune Emploi Formation
The Maison Commune Emploi Formation (MCEF) building hosts nine different organisations which provide training and employment services for jobseekers in Rodez, a town in the south of France. A public building, the MCEF has 3,680 square metres of floor space housing offices, meeting rooms, and social spaces. Situated in a neighbourhood just outside the historic centre, the building is surrounded by shops and residential structures from different periods and architectural styles.
Architect Lacombe - De Florinier Location Rodez (France) Company involved Umicore Website www.umicore.com